The Most Loyal Enemy
by LadyPalma
Summary: A story History never told us about, a story that doesn't change the course of history. The story of a Queen and her most loyal enemy. NOT AU, historically possible.
1. Never Keep Me Down

**Okay, I know I have other stories to write, but this is already all written, I just have to translate it in English. It's very strange, most of all because it follows History...Yes it's a sort of KOA/Cromwell pairing and it's not AU... So you say: how it's possible? I've tried to do the impossible LoL Let me know what you think about it, please! Hope you like it:)**

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_It's alright cause you can try but you'll never keep me down_  
_It's alright I may be lost but you'll never keep me down_  
_You can try you can try but you'll never keep me down_  
_You can try I know i'm lost but I'm waiting to be found_

_[This ain't a love song - Scouting for Girls]_

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**1. Never Keep Me Down**

October 1531 – The More

When Lady Elizabeth had entered her room telling there was someone waiting for her, she didn't certainly expected, climbing down the stairs of the crumbling though still beautiful The More residence, to find the Secretary. She quickly dismissed her lady and took some steps forward to the guest, trying to hide the amazement caused by that visit; she stopped then in front of him as to challenge him in that bow that, probably in spite of her prevision, not only he made, but even deeper than any other he ever made in her presence.

"Master Cromwell, what's the reason of your visit?" she asked after some moments of silence, while irony came out her voice and unchanged unchangeable pride shined in the blue eyes.

The Secretary made a small smile, impressed as always by the strength of that woman; it came back to his mind as a flash the way she faced the now deceased cardinal Wolsey and frighten the most ruthless men at Court, and he was included in them. And most of all, he remembered their last meeting, when he had to break the news of her imminent banishment from the Royal Palace and this memory more than any other didn't have the confusing appearance of a sudden flash, it was instead a memory that he had seen again in his mind for a lot of times though those four months, the same memory that in the end led him there.

"I'm aware of the encounter you had with Lord Howard of Norfolk to persuade you about the transfer of the trial about the King's Great Matter here in England… And I'm also aware of his failure, so I'm here to show again all the possibilities…" he answered after some other moment of silence with hesitance flattering in his voice.

"And what makes you think I'll listen to you?" the Queen cut him off staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"It's His Majesty's will" the Secretary simply said, knowing the woman's deep devotion for her husband.

"I prefer disobeying to the King rather than to God" she quickly replied with that same pride, never haughty, that came out not only from the voice or the look, but found a correspondence in the regality of her every simple act and in the way even hair seemed to move.

Thomas kept on looking at her for a few moments, unable to speak; it was absurd as a woman without any weapon could leave him so disarmed. Had ever someone though in front of that pious and devout woman that actually was she the devil? He had though it, many times.

"Your Majesty you speak as a saint, but I'm afraid you are not" Cromwell let out in a whisper, without probably ponder the words and starting to think, too late, about the consequences.

The Queen subtly petrified and a lighting of annoyance darkened the clear sky of her look; other clouds joined that sky, that was however forced in a deal of an eternal drought. Not a drop would have rained from that sky, not a tear from those eyes, and the both of them knew it very well.

"I believe you're really wasting your precious time" Catherine answered after some time, once regained the control of her emotions, too soon however to disguised also the face that showed a hurt expression "Master Cromwell…" she said then with a nod, letting him know that the conversation was over.

Thomas bowed again and after giving her another look, he left the room slightly upset by the meeting but with a small amused smile on the lips. Of course, it hadn't have been a waste of time.


	2. Everybody's changing

**Hi! So I've finally translated chapter 2! Yes, keep on writing about Cromkat (O.O) I hope you like it and that you will leave a review:)**

**P.S. I even made a trailer of this fanfic, you can find it on my profile:)**

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_So little time _  
_Try to understand that I'm _  
_Trying to make a move just to stay in the game _  
_I try to stay awake and remember my name _  
_But everybody's changing and I don't feel the same_

[Everybody's changing - Keane]

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**2. Everybody's changing (and I don't feel the same)**

April 1532 – Hatfield

When six months later, Lady Elizabeth entered her room in her new residence at one of Bishop Ely's estates, Catherine didn't expect, not even this time, the Secretary; hearing his name from the lips of her lady, she on instinct released a deep sigh, and seeing him in the flesh in front of her, she couldn't prevent herself to let out a small laugh without joy.

"My lady" he said as he entered the parlor and bowing to her as he did the previous time.

The Queen had fun to leave me waiting for her at least for a half hour, but, despite the long travel he had done by horse, Cromwell didn't complain, instead he took advantage of the wait to check the conditions the woman was living in. Hatfield wasn't certainly as The More, but it was still a beautiful house and it seemed, from the number of servants and the luxurious objects he had seen, she wasn't missing that comfort her rank imposed and that she was used to.

"Master Cromwell…" she answered with a simple nod, waiting to find what was this time the purpose of the visit.

"I've come to check how the move affected your healthy condition and to see the quality of stay in this new residence" he answered to that implied question with a slight hesitant voice, giving another look around.

Hearing those words, Catherine suddenly looked up and a ray of sunshine light for a moment those corners of sky. One of the King's most loyal advisor had come to her and for what reason if not to tell what his eyes had seen to the King himself? Maybe remorse and sense of guilty were starting to enter Henry's heart: sense of loss, it had to be that the reason why he still cared for her.

"It was the King to send you?" she asked then, not hiding her feeling.

Cromwell seeing her in that moment, couldn't do anything but looked down, feeling strangely embarrassed to be again the one to deny her last hope. He shook unsubtly the head, but not enough to prevent her to see him, and looking up again to see her reaction, he felt a strange sense of tenderness seeing the light in her eyes die in the darkness of who is alone in the world. That same darkness he knew so well.

"And so who sent you?" she asked again, faking indifference. That new fresh disappointment hurt her, but she knew too much the taste of it to remain hurt for too long.

"My conscience" he seriously answered daring again to look her in the eyes.

Catherine remained a moment astonished at that unexpected answer, and then slowly started to giggle, amused by the game that Destiny seemed to play with her.

"You didn't believe I had one, did you?" he asked slightly annoyed by her reaction but also surprised hearing her laugh for the first time.

"No, everybody has a conscience… just not all of us listen to it" she replied while a bitter smile formed on her lips like a shadow witness of that laugh.

And instead he did listen to his conscience, more than she thought. It was just that it didn't say to both of them the same things.


	3. While I'm risking the way that I see you

**Here it is chapter 3... It's a bit strange the situation I put them in, but since I love chess, I couldn't resist LoL. ****So... I hope you like it:)**

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_Truth be told,_  
_my problems solved_  
_You mean the world to me_  
_But you'll never know_  
_You could be cruel to me,_  
_While we're risking the way_  
_That I see you_  
_...But I see you_

[I see you - Mika]

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**3. While I'm risking the way that I see you**

Dicember 1532 – Hertford

"Checkmate!" Cromwell stated with a victorious smile breaking the silence lasted more than a half hour, while the White King on the chessboard was completely surrounded.

Even if it was the Queen who now was feeling trapped.

Catherine made a smirk annoyed by that defeat, she had never loved to loose and it had always been rare to see it happen, even if lately it was happening too often. However so much time had been since the last time she had played, and when Thomas Cromwell arrived in her umpteenth residence at Herford, in his new uniform as Lord Chancellor, that in her opinion he didn't wear as well as the former man who wore it did, she expected everything but a game of chess.

The unusual scene that seemed almost enshrouded by the Christmas typical magic didn't have to be misunderstood: there hadn't been any alliance, nor a strange change of nature; the mere amusement with the woman that, at least formally, was still the Queen, wasn't Cromwell's only purpose: at stake there was a question, which Catherine had swore to answer with absolute honesty if he would have won the game. But that victory wouldn't have changed anything and both of them knew that: it was a question he would have asked anyway and which her sincerity would have answered in any case to.

"So, Lord Chancellor, what is this question?" she asked moving the look from the chessboard to him, emphasizing the new title with an ironic smile.

Cromwell made a hint of a smile too, then he looked at her in silence for some moments with a deadly serious expression on the face.

"How are you?" asked then in a whisper, as to hide that sudden sense of humanity and maybe of protection for that woman that actually didn't need of any protection. At least, surely not from him.

"I'm fine" she quickly answered raising just a bit an eyebrow, a particular that betrayed all the surprise caused by that question.

"You swore you would have been honest!" Cromwell admonished her, expressing his discontent for the laconic answer that he also knew it to be false.

"Then I honestly say that I'm… slowly falling to pieces and you should know it better than me… It' the third house I've changed in a year, I0m not allowed to see my only daughter and not even the one that in the eyes of God still is my husband!"she revealed with the eyes fastened on the chessboard "And yet, still honestly, I say that I'm fine… I'm fine until my conscience will be clear and until God will be by my side" she added then looking this time him in the eyes, giving him again the proof of her strength and her moral integrity.

A deep silence reigned supreme in the room for some minutes;: they kept on staring at each other in a battle of looks, without saying anything and yet saying everything all at once. But they weren't clashing, they were just meeting maybe for the first time. He was the first to break the contact, stood up slowly and then with a slight nod reached the door, but a sudden thought that actually never left his mind but on the contrary had tormented him for days, made him turn back again to the woman.

"You must be careful… Someone wants you dead, it' not just a rumor… Make your servants check your food, you should better avoid any contact with the external" warned her with a tone that betrayed a certain worry.

"I've already told you I'm fine" Catherine repeated while a _sincere_ smile formed on her lips.

And it also appeared on Thomas's lips, but only after he left the room. After all the injustices he had committed, it seemed he had finally made a good action. That still wouldn't have opened to him the doors of Heaven.


End file.
